Machines for sewing and lasting



9 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. l5, 1955 o. R. HAAs MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING med June 12, 1951 Nov. l5, 1955 o. R. HAAs 2,723,633

MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING Filed June 12, 1951 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 [n ven for Nov. l5, 1955 Q. R. HAAs MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 12, 1951 Otto Haas B his Atto/"ne Nov. l5, 1955 o. R. HAAs 2,723,633

MACHINES FOR SEWING AAND LASTING Filed June l2, 1951 9 Sheets--Shee'rI 4 Inventor Otto Haas B his tzomey Nov. 15, 1955 o. R. HAAS 2,723,633

MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING Filed June 12, 1951 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 I, ,Imm f "lilium In ven for "lll-Ilm 7] l' Otto Haas n'. [s 4 may Nov. 15, 1955 o. R. HAAS MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June l2, 1951 j? Haas B is t n neg ,WHQL

Nov. 15, 1955 o. R. HAAs MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed June 12, 1951 Inventor Otto ff Haas B his A. ey

Nav. l5, 1955 o. R. HAAs 2,723,633

MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING Filed June 12, 1951 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 fn vemor Otto Ha a5 B /zz's c me Z y Nov. l5, 1955 o. R. HAAS 2,723,633

- MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING Filed June 12, 1951 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 fnven for Otto R Haas United States Patent MACHINES FOR SEWING AND LASTING Otto R. Haas, Wenham, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 12, 1951, Serial No. 231,082

13 Claims. (Cl. 112-35) The present invention relates to improvements in machines for operating automatically about the margin of a shoe sole while supported on a last and more particularly to a machine, the operating means for which include sewing devices for securing together the upper and sole of a lasted shoe, the machine as a whole being similar in many respects to that illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,359,662, granted October 3, 1944, upon application of A. R. Morrill. The machine, in which the illustrated embodiment of the invention is disclosed, has a shoe supporting jack and actuating mechanisms for imparting positioning and feeding movements to the jack to cause the jacked shoe to be presented to the operating means and to transfer the operation about the shoe as the shoe is fed and upper tensioning grippers are provided to last the shoe simultaneously with the sewing operation.

The principal objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the operation of an automatic machine for lasting and sewing a shoe and to render the machine more accurate and reliable in the performance of its operating devices on the shoe and in the positioning movements imparted to the shoe while it is being fed.

ln a machine of the type referred to, the positioning movements of a jacked shoe are imparted primarily by pattern mechanism including a cam shaft driven a complete 360 rotation for each shoe operated upon and driving and stopping mechanism controlled in part by a foot treadle connected rod, the operator actuating a treadle connected to the rod to start the machine and the pattern cam shaft itself acting on the rod to bring the machine to rest. Under different operating conditions the position at which the pattern cam shaft comes to rest may vary slightly from time to time. In accordance with a further object of the invention, the position in which the pattern cam shaft is brought to rest is determined with reliable uniformity. Accordingly, other operations dependent upon the starting position of the pattern cam shaft for their accuracy and uniformity are similarly improved.

In carrying out the present invention a machine of the type referred to is provided with auxiliary pattern cam advancing mechanism including a detent mounted for movement toward and from a position to block rotation of the pattern cam shaft precisely at a predetermined limit under the action of an auxiliary mechanism, the auxiliary mechanism being thrown into operation upon stopping the machine. Preferably, the detent is withdrawn from blocking position for the pattern cam shaft by connections with a treadle.

Other features of the invention include the use of a more reliable and effective thread finger actuating mechanism than heretofore employed, and a novel and improved welt advancing finger safety release mechanism.

The several features of the invention consist also in the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will readily be unice derstood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of a machine embodying the several features of the invention and illustrating a shoe partly in section at the point of operation of the operating devices;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan view on an enlarged scale illustrating the driving connections for the pattern cam shaft;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation of the driving connections shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of a detent for blocking rotation of the pattern cam shaft at the end of an operation upon a shoe;

Fig. 5 is a similar detail view of a connection for releasing the detent from the pattern cam shaft at the beginning of a new operation on a shoe;

Fig. 6 is a detail view in Vertical section looking from the right of a portion of the jack supporting and controlling mechanisms, shown in positions assumed when the machine is at rest;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the same parts shown in positions assumed during operation of the machine;

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view partly in section illustrating the pitch and roll actuating mechanism for the jack;

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale of a jack centering spring shown in Fig. 8, as viewed along the line IX-IX of Fig. l;

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional plan view on an enlarged scale of a welt advancing finger and its actuating mechanism employed in the machine;

Fig. ll is a side detail view on an enlarged scale of connections in a welt detector mechanism acting to render the advancing finger inoperative upon the absence of a welt in the machine and being shown during active operation of the nger;

Fig. 12 is a similar view of the same parts shown in positions assumed with the welt advancing finger rendered inoperative;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the same parts in the positions of Fig. l1;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view in right side elevation of the forward head portion of the machine, illustrating the lasting gripper jaws and actuating mechanisms therefor;

Fig. 15 is a detail view of the lasting gripper jaws, looking in the direction of the arrow XV of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a partially sectional plan view of the head section of the machine including the lasting gripper jaws and actuating mechanisms;

Figs. 17 and 18 are somewhat fragmentary detail views looking from the left of the machine showing the main takeup lever, a stop arm of the stopping mechanism, the thread tensioning brake and mechanism controlled through the operation of these parts for releasing and engaging the thread tension, Fig. 17 showing the parts in stopped positions and Fig. 18 in running positions;

Fig. 19 is a detail side sectional view of the looper, thread finger and thread gripping device together with their actuating mechanism shown in stopped position; and

Fig. 20 is a sectional plan view on an enlarged scale of the thread finger and thread gripping device in thread gripping positions.

The automatic machine illustrated in the drawings is constructed for sewing the inseams of Goodyear welt shoes and comprises a hollow column shaped support or frame made up of several parts including a floor section 2, housing foot treadle controls and shoe supporting jack raising mechanism, a midsection 4, housing jack supporting and pattern cam controlled actuating mechanism for the jack and a head section 6, housing welt sewing and driving and stopping mechanisms for the machine. The driving and stopping mechanisms act in stopping the machine to reverse the operating devices before bringing them to rest. The operating devices for sewing are arranged to insert a chain stitch seam and inclnde a curved hook needle S movable in the line of feed, a looper 1t) (see Fig, 19), a thread linger 12., a thread traction or tension wheel 14 (Fig. 1) mounted on a shaft 16, a work feeding channel guide 18, a welt guide 19 and side lasting mechanism having grippers comprising jaws 20 and 22 (Figs. 14 and movabletoward and from engagement with an upper, indicated at 24, of a Goodyear welt shoe to stretch the upper over a last 26 upon which it is mounted and bring it into lasted relation with the sewing rib along the margin of an insole 2,8 also mounted on the last. As the operation progresses the stitches of the inseam pass through the insole, the upper and a welt 30, carried by the welt guide 19.

The shoe supporting jack is indicated at 32 (Fig. l) and consists of an upright spindle similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,406,306, granted August 20, 1946, upon an application of A. R. Morrill. At the upper end of the spindle the shoe is secured in the usual way by clamping, the clamping parts thereupon being locked in or released from clamping position.

The jack supporting and pattern cam actuating mechanism (Figs. 1 and 8) includes a supporting structure formed byvthe supporting spindle on the jack 32, a horizontal supportingY arm 34 at the forward end of which the lower end ofthe jack spindle is pivotally mounted to rotate and swing with tipping and turning movements in any direction on gimbal joints, a pitch support lever 36 on which the arm 34 is mounted to swing vertically and a roll support lever or frame 38 pivotally mounted at its lower end in the frame section 4` so as to swing about a horizontal axis 39 and upon which the pitch support lever 36 is piVOtailY mounted to swing about a substantially vertical axis 40. These parts are arranged to permit rotational movement of the jack and the shoe thereon on the horizontal supporting arm 34 and roll and pitch tipping movements over a wide range of angles to bring the shoe into proper relation to the stitch forming and work feeding devices of the sewing head as the point of operation is transferred about the shoe.

To raise the jack and present the shoe uniformly in engagement with the channel guide 18 the horizontal jack support arm 3,4 has connected to it the upper end of a rod 41, the lower end of which is connected to a bell crank lever 42 (see Figs. 6 and 7) mounted to turn on a pivot shaft 44 in the floor section 2 of the frame. A downwardly extending arm of the bell crank 42 is connected to yielding supporting means comprising a pair of tension springs'46 stretched between the bell crank and the floor section of the frame.

The mechanism for actuating the jack supporting structure includes a feed link 48 (Fig. l) connected to the jack and other links and levers actuated by a series of cams 50 on a vertical pattern cam shaft 52 rotating in the jack supporting section 4 of the frame. The machine as thus far described is essentially of the same construction and mode of operation as that of Patent No. 2,359,662, above referred to.

The machine of Patent No. 2,359,662 is provided with automatically adjustabley connectionsbetweenA the feed link, corresponding to that at 4.8 in the illustrated machine andthe pattern cam shaft corresponding to that atSZ. To increase or decrease the feeding movement imparted to the shoe while retainingl the other positioningY movements in properly timed sequence with changes in sizes of shoes presented tothe machine, the adjustment of the feed connections is made while the operator is presenting a jacked shoe to the stitch forming devices. it has been found that in some instances slight variations in the stopping position of the pattern cam shaft mayv have a substantial effect on the accuracy of adjustment in the feed connections. If an improper. adjustment in the feed` connections is made,` then the entire operation on a shoe may be faulty since all of the positioning movements other than feeding of the shoe are dependent for timing upon the feeding position of the shoe.

ln accordance with a feature of the present invention, the illustrated machine is provided with a detent mounted for movement toward and from a position to block rotation of the pattern cam shaft 52 beyond a predetermined limit and to avoid any possibility of rebound from the detent a brake also is provided for retarding rotation of the pattern cam shaft before it is blocked by the detent. By such arrangement the pattern cam shaft always is brought to rest with certainty in a predetermined position, preventing improper adjustment of the size adjusting connections in the feed mechanism as a result of failure to stop the pattern cam shaft uniformly in the same position after each operation on a shoe.

The pattern cam shaft drive, detent and brake together with their actuating connections are illustrated in Figs. 1-5 inclusive. For completing the rotation of the pattern cam shaft and for bringing it to its final stopping position at the end of an operation on a shoe, auxiliary mechanism is thrown into operation as the machine is brought to rest after the operating shaft for the stitch forming devices has been reversed and stopped. The auxiliary mechanism is similar to that described in Patent No. 2,359,662 and includes an eccentric operated vertically disposed rock shaft 54 (Fig. 2) carrying an arm 56 upon which is pivoted at S7 a wide faced pawl 53 pressed yieldingly toward the pattern cam shaft. After an operation on a shoe has been completed by movement of the rock shaft 54 in one direction, the pawl 53 is engaged with a shoulder 60 on a plate 62 secured to a driving gear 64 fixed to the pattern cam shaft 52. When the pawl 5S engages the shoulder, the shaft 54 is rocked in the reverse direction to advance the pattern cam shaft to its final stopping position, which position is maintained until the machine is again restarted for operating upon a new shoe. The advancing movement of the pawl 58 is suiiiciently rapid to cause the cam shaft 52 to overthrow if the bearings and actuated parts are loosened sufficiently from wear.

Por reducing the possibility of overthrow in the pattern cam shaft while being advanced to its final stopping position the pattern cam shaft is indirectly acted upon by the brake above referred to, having a slotted shank engaging the pin 57 and comprising a Y-shaped shoe 66 (Fig. 2) surrounding a drum 68 secured to a stub shaft 7) to which are secured reduction gears 72 and 74 for driving the pattern cam shaft, the gear 72 meshing with a driving gear 76. The gear 74 in turn meshes with a gear 78 on a vertical driving shaft 80 carrying a number of smaller driving gears 82 meshing with the pattern cam shaft gear 64.

The brake shoe 66 is pressed yieldingly against the drum 6,8 when the rock shaft 54 is given a clockwise movement at the end of an operation on a shoe. To press the brake shoe against the drum it is connected to a coil spring 84, one end of which is secured to a hook on a retaining plate 86 carried by the brake shoe and the other end of which is made fast to the machine frame. The other end of the spring is made fast to a stationary part of the machine. At the end of an operation on a shoe the rock shaft 54 moves in a clockwise direction from the position of Fig. 2 to swing the pin 57 toward the stub shaft '70, releasing the brake. shoe for engagement with the. brake drum. As soon as the brake shoe engages the drum it remains stationary and continued movement of the rock shaft retracts the pawl 58 until it moves past the shoulder 60 on the plate 62, the pin S7 moving idly along the slot in the brake shoe. Counterclockwise movement of the rock shaft then completes the rotation of the pattern cam shaft with the brake shoe in operation until the advancing movement is nearly completed, at which time the brake shoe is disengaged from the drum. At the nal end ofthe advancing movement the pawl is actuated relatively slowly so that there is no tendency for overthrow in the pattern cam shaft and gears beyond their desired stopped positions.

The detent for blocking the pattern cam shaft is designated at S7 and comprises a vertical slide with a laterally projecting arm. The detent slide is mounted in a vertical guideway SS (Fig. 2) in a position to bring'its arm into engagement with the upper side of the pattern cam gear 64. At the end of the advancing movement of the pattern cam shaft a block 90 secured to the gear 64 engages the extreme end of the detent arm. Since the momentum of the cam shaft is substantially reduced by its reduction in speed at this time little or no impact occurs between the block and the detent.

ln the machine of the 2,359,662 patent there are a number of selectively operable sets of cams on the pattern cam shaft for imparting different positioning movements to the jack supporting structure. The cams of each respective set have generally the same shape but are intended to produce the most effective positioning movements of the jack when shoes of different stylesare being operated upon. To bring the cams of a different set selectively into operation the cam shaft is shifted vertically relatively to a single set'of rolls cooperating with the cams. It is accordingly necessary to employ a guideway 8S of such length that the detent may slide along with the vertical shift of the pattern cam shaft to the maximum extent of its movement.

To withdraw the detent 86 from cam shaft blocking position, regardless of the vertical position of the shaft 52, the detent slide 86 is formed with a plurality of triangular projections 92 disposed in pairs along its opposite sides. These triangular projections provide similar cam surfaces inclined along their under edges, and each pair of oppositely disposed surfaces is engaged by a pair of rolls 94 rotating on inwardly projecting pins 96 carried by the forked end of a horizontal rod 98 slidingly mounted in a portion of the machine frame. There is one pair of projections 92 with cam surfaces for each set of cams on the pattern cam shaft 52. The rod 98 forms one of a series of connections with a treadle control rod, to be described, for raising the detent from the path of the block 90 on the gear 64 in starting a new operation on a shoe when the control rod is depressed. By reason of the separate triangular projections 92 the detent is raised from blocking position regardless of the axial shift of the pattern cam shaft S2, the projections being spaced vertically on the slide 86 the same as the cams on the cam shaft. To urge the detent downwardly toward blocking position and to cause it to follow the vertical shift of the pattern cam shaft while selecting one of a set of cams on the shaft the upper end of the detent slide is connected to a tension spring 100 stretched between a pin on the slide and a pin fixed in the lower end of the guideway 88.

To actuate the rod 98 in starting the machine in operation the end opposite the rolls 94 is engaged by a downwardly projecting arm of a lever 102 pivoted at 104 to the machine frame. A horizontal arm on the lever 102 is forked to surround the treadle control rod indicated at 106, extending vertically and carrying a clamp collar 108 secured to it just above the lever 102. The lower end of the rod 106 is pivotally connected to a forwardly extending arm of a yieldingly raised starting treadle in the form of a lever 110, best shown in Fig. l. The treadle lever normally is held raised when the machine is stopped and is depressed against the force of a spring (not shown) in starting the machine. As soon as the treadle is depressed the bar 98 engages the detent slide and raises it from the cam shaft gear 64 so that the block 90 may pass beneath it. The treadle rod 106 is locked in lowered position during each operation of the machine and is released as the operation is completed so as to cause the detent again to be lowered into engagement with the gear 64. To withdraw the rod 98 from the detent it is surrounded by a coil spring 112 (Fig. 2) compressed between the machine frame and a collar 114 on this time in the machine operation.

The treadle lever is connected to control the driving and vstopping mechanism in a manner similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,359,662. Briey, the connections between the treadle lever and the driving and stopping mechanism include the treadle connected rod 106, a forked arm through the fork of which the upper end of the treadle rod passes, a rockshaft 116 to which the arm 115 is secured, connections within the machine frame for shifting a driven clutch member 118 toward and from a driving clutch member 120, the driven clutch member being connected to an axially disposed stub shaft 122 mounted in the midsection 4 of the machine frame and rotatably connected to the driving gear 76.

To lock the treadle rod `in depressed running position it is provided with a notch 124 (Fig. l) arranged to be engaged by a horizontal latch comprising a bar 126 operated by the driving and stopping mechanism in a manner more fully described in the patent just referred to. The latch bar releases the treadle rod for movement to a stopping position at the end of an operation on a shoe to throw the stopping mechanism into operation. After the stitch-forming devices of the machine have been brought to rest the auxiliary mechanism is thrown into operation, the rotation of the pattern cam shaft is completed and the jacked shoe disengaged from the operating devices and returned to its original starting position.

To disengage the shoe from the stitch-forming devices the bell crank lever 42 is depressed stretching the springs 46 and lowering the jack supporting rod 41 in a manner similar to that by which the shoe is disengaged in the construction disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,581,272, granted January l, 1952, upon application of John A. Miller. To this end the horizontal arm of the bell crank lever is pivotally connected to a toggle consisting of a pair of arms 128 and 130 (see Figs. l, 6 and 7), the upper one, 130 of which is secured to a laterally extended rockshaft 132 rotatably mounted in a fixed part of the machine frame. A forwardly extending lug on the toggle arm has a perforation through which passes the lower end of a toggle control rod 134 having a collar 136 arranged to engage the underside of the forwardly extending lug of the arm. The upper end of the control rod is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 137 (see Fig. l) the other arm of which is connected by a link 133 to the auxiliary mechanism which is actuated by the driving and stopping mechanism in a manner more fully described in Patent No. 2,359,662. After completing operations on a shoe the toggle 12S, 130 is straightened to a beyond-center locking position, lowering the shoe from the channel guide 18 and permitting the jack to swing forwardly under the influence of a tension spring 140 connected between a downward extension of the jack spindle and the jack supporting rod 41. n.

In the machine of the prior patents the toggle which corresponds to the arms 128, 130 is yieldingly urged to a position of misalinement and the control rod, corressponding to the rod 134, acts when raised against the yielding force applied to the toggle arms. The yielding force on the toggle arms in the prior machine assists in raising the jack with a new shoe against the channel guide, it being necessary only to force the jack downwardly so that the toggle will be relieved of pressure from the springs, corresponding to those at 46 to raise the jack. As soon as the toggle arms are freed from the force of the jack raising springs the toggle arms are yieldingly brought into positions of misalinement and the jack released for upward movement. In some instances however it has been found desirable to lower the jack and to lock it again in lowered position before the machine is restarted. If the toggle arms are yieldingly urged to broken or misalined position it will be necessary to exert a heavy force manually on the jack against the action of the jack-raising springs as well as against the yielding force tending to break the toggle arms.

To enable the jacked shoe to be lowered from engagement with the channel guide and to realine the toggle arms 12S, 13@ without application of heavy downward force on the jack in the illustrated machine, the toggle arms 128, 130 are yieldinglyurged to straightened positions of alineinent rather than to positions of misalinement as in the priormachine. To this end the central joint of the arms 123, 131i is connected with a spring 142 (Figs. 6 and 7) stretched between their central joint and a lixed part of the machine forwardly of the toggle arms. Accordingly, a downward pressure exerted on the jack need only overcome the upward orce of the jack raising springs 46 to insure locking the jack in lowered position. To assist in depressing the jack the bell crank lever 42 has pivotally mounted at its outer end a foot pedal having a lever 144, a downwardly extending arm of which is pivotally connected to a rearwardly extending link 146 also pivotally connectedr to a central portion of the toggle arm 13). A foot pad on the pedal lever 144 extends forwardly of its pivotal mounting so that when depressed with a rocking movement it exerts a direct force against the straightening spring 142 in a direction to break the alinement of the toggle arms. A portion of the foot pad is located directly above the pivotal mounting, indicated at 14S, for the pedal lever so that upon application of pressure on the foot pad at its rearward edge the jack may both be lowered away from the operating means and locked by the toggle without forcing the toggle arms rearwardly. Pressure on the forward edge of the foot pad will cause the toggle to be broken and the jack thereafter raised yieldingly by the springs 46. Thus, the pedal lever is operable both to break the toggle and to lock the shoe on the jack in a lowered position away from the operating means.

in the prior machine for some types of shoes requiring extreme pitch and roll tipping movements a relatively large swinging movement is imposed on the horizontal supporting arm 34 as well as upon the pitch support lever 36 (see Figs. l and 8). If these swinging movements cause the supporting arm and pitch lever to assume a suiciently small angular relation, the components of upward force of the jack raising springs 46 exerted through the support rod 41 tend to disturb the roll and pitch movements and to render it difficult to return the jack to a position with the pitch and roll levers within their normal range of angular relationship, the parts becoming cramped against free movement.

In order to correct this diiculty and to provide a jack supporting structure which is readily adapted for operation upon shoes including those requiring extreme pitch and roll movements, provision is made of a compensating mechanism comprising a single centering spring acting on the jack supporting arm 34 to bias the shoe toward a neutral intermediate position in which the thrust of the supporting rod 41, tending to accentuate the pitch and roll movements of the jack, is automatically balanced as the pitch and roll levers approach an angular relationship beyond which cramping occurs. In this way the thrust of the support rod is directed with proper force toward the pointl of operation of the operating devices in the machine rather than away from the point ot' operation regardless of the position of the support rod.

The compensating mechanism is best shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 9, in which the jack supporting arm 34 has secured to it a socket 148 forming a swivel connection with one end of a balancing link 150. The other end of the balancing link is slidingly mounted within a coil spring 152 which surrounds the link. The spring 152 is compressed within a housing 154 pivotally mounted for universal movement on a bracket 156 on the machine frame, the ends of the housing being provided with collarsr S acting to confine the spring from expansion. The collars 158 are screwed securely to the ends of the housing and the collar at one end of the housing engages a shouldered sleeve 160 against which one end of the spring presses and at the other end of the housing the collar 158 engages a shouldered tube 162 supporting the other end of the spring. The link passes loosely through the shouldered sleeve and tube.

To restrict the movement of the link 150 in one direction through the sleeve, the sleeve is provided with a lost motion connection comprising a cross pin 164 passing through a. slot 166 in the link. At the other end of the housing the tube 162 has a pair of lost motion slots 16S engaged by the ends of a pin 17@ carried by the extreme end of the link 150. The arrangement is such that as the supporting arm 34 swings to the right or rearwardly the sleeve 160 is moved. inwardly of the housing 154.- against the compression of the entire spring 152, the pin 17'8- on the rod sliding idly in the slots 16S. When the supporting arm 34 swings to the left or forwardly the tube 16?; is moved by the pin 170 inwardly of the housing 154 against the compression of the spring 152, the link 150 sliding idly in the sleeve 160 by reason of the slot 166 through which the pin 164 passes. The greater the extent of movement in any direction the greater is the compression of the spring, the distributing components of pitch and roll being thereby compensated for in a direct manner.

Referring to Figs. 1, 17 and. 18 the thread handling and stitch-forming devices of the machine, besides those heretofore mentioned, include a main takeup 172 supported intermediate its length on a pin 174 secured in the machine frame, the thread passing from the traction or tension wheel 14. and over a pulley 176 on the forward end of the takeup 172. The thread tension wheel shaft 16 is rotatable in the machiney frame and carries at one end a drum 178 engaged by a main brake shoe 181i actuated against the drum under variable pressure through a brake lever 182 on which the shoe 180. is mounted. For exerting a pressure on the brake shoe the brake lever carries an adjusting screw 184 to one end of which is connected a tension spring 186 stretched between the screw 1234 and a link 188. connected with the takeup lever 172.

To enable thread to be drawn readily from the machine after it has been brought to rest the drum 178 is released from the brake shoe 180. ln restarting the machine the shoe 181). is held disengaged from the drum 17S for at least one sewing cycle after which it is caused to reengage the drum. While the brake shoe is disengaged from the dmm the thread may be withdrawn freely from the machine so that there is possibility of entanglement in thc thread'. Also in starting a new seam intermittent pull of the thread produced by the takeup may cause the tension wheel to spin providing an excessive supply of thread so that the rst stitch of a seam will usually be loose and the seam may not be started properly.

To insure proper control of the thread while the brake shoe is disengaged from the drum 178 particularly in starting a new seam, a light resistance is applied to the. rotation of the tension wheel during this time of operation of the machine. To this end the tension wheel brake drum 178 is engaged along its under surface by an auxiliary brake shoe 190 actuated by the same mechanism which is employed to disengage the main brake shoe 180 from the drum, the auxiliary shoe swinging on a tixed pivot 1911.

To disengage the main brake shoe 180 from the drum as the stitch-formingr devices are brought to rest at the end of a seam, connections are provided with the stopping mechanism of the machine. Those connections include an adjustable screw 192 carried at the end ot" the brake lever 182 and engaged by an L-shaped arm 1911 secured to a rockshaft 196 rotatable in the machine frame. Also secured to the rockshaft 196 is a downwardly extending, arm 198 arranged at its lower end to be engaged by an abutment on a lock bolt carrier 21)@ comprising a part of the stoppingv mechanism of the machine. ln bringing the machine to rest at the end of an operation on a shoe the lock bolt carrier is initially given a forward movement, that is, toward the right from the full line position of Fig. 18 to the dot-dash position. The initial forward movement of the lock bolt carrier causes the shaft 196 to be rocked in a counterclockwise direction moving the arm 194 toward the set screw 192 on the brake lever 182. The shaft 196 also has secured to it a stop arm 202 provided at its lower end with a roll 204 movable into engagement with a cam disk 206 carried by a sewing shaft 208 from which the stitch-forming devices are actuated. During sewing operations the sewing cam shaft normally rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 17 and 18, the roll 204 being held out of engagement with the cam disk. As the machine is brought to rest at the end of the seam normal rotation of the shaft 208 is terminated and the rotation is reversed for a short distance. During reverse rotation of shaft 208 the roll 204 is pressed against the disk and enters a stopping cam groove 21.0 so that the roll as it reaches the bottom of the groove rocks the shaft 196 still further in a counterclockwise direction to the solid line position of Fig. 17 to disengage the brake shoe 180 from the drum 178.

At the same time that the main brake shoe 1480 is disengaged from the drum a forwardly extending arm 212 -1 the rockshaft 196 moves upwardly and is engaged by a latch 214 rotatably supported on the pivot 191. At an intermediate point on the arm 212 is mounted a pivot for a perforated block 216. Extending through the perforation in the block 216 is a machine screw 218 threaded into a clevis 220 surrounding and pivotally connected to a portion of the auxiliary brake shoe 190. Engagement of the arm 212 with the latch 214 causes the brake shoe 180 to be held disengaged from the drum 178 during the insertion of the first stitch of a new seam in a manner more fully set forth in Patent No. 2,359,662. At the same time the auxiliary brake shoe is pressed against the drum 178 to impart a yielding braking action so that a light tension will be imparted to the thread while withdrawing it. The braking action of the auxiliary shoe 190 is sufficient to prevent overthrow of the tension wheel in starting a new seam or when withdrawing thread manually while the machine is at rest.

For actuating the auxiliary brake shoe 190 yieldingly against the drum 178 the machine screw 218 is surrounded between the clevis 220 and the block 216 by a compression spring 222. When the shaft 196 rocks in a counterclockwise direction at the end of a seam the auxiliary brake shoe moves from the position of Fig. 18 to that of Fig. 17, the block 216 sliding on the machine screw and moving away from the head thereof. In the operation of the brake shoe mechanism either the main brake shoe or the auxiliary shoe are thus operative at all times, the auxiliary shoe maintaining a control of the tension on the thread when the machine stops and preventing overthrow of the tension wheel when the main brake shoe is disengaged from the drum 178.

For severing and securing the end of the thread when the sewing operation on a shoe is completed the machine of Patent No. 2,359,662 is provided with a thread cutter and the thread finger is given abnormal movement to a rearward position in which it cooperates with a yieldingly supported gripping member. Referring to Figs. 19 and 20 the thread cutter is designated at 224 and the gripping ,member 226. The thread finger 12, as in the patent just noted, comprises a hook element formed on the forward end of a curved slide mounted in a guideway 228. At the rearward end of the thread finger slide are a series of rack teeth engaging a gear segment formed on an actuating lever 230 rotatably mounted on a stationary pivot 232. At the end of an operation on a shoe the thread finger is drawn rearwardly with the thread against the gripper member and the thread cutter is actuated to sever the thread close to the thread finger. During sewing operations the thread finger is moved forward to release the thread and to operate in the' usual way' in forming' the stitches of a seam. For this purpose the lever 230 is connected by a link 234 with a cam lever 236. The cam lever is supported on a pivot shaft 238 and carries a roll 240 engaging a groove in a cam 241 mounted on the sewing'shaft 208, said groove having two parts 242 and 244, the part 244 being formed inside the part 242. The outside part 242 of the cam groove is effective during sewing operations and the inside part 244 is effective to actuate the thread finger in its abnormal thread gripping movements at the end of a seam during reverse rotation of the cam shaft 208.

The cam groove parts 242 and 244 are provided with two interconnecting passages 246 and 248. The cam roll 240 is shifted into the thread gripping part 244 of the cam groove through thhe passage 248 during reverse rotation of the sewing shaft to impart an abnormal thread gripping movement to the thread finger, the roll being shifted through passage 248. At the beginning of a new seam, however, the cam roll 240 is retained ordinarily in the thread gripping cam groove part 244 beyond the shifting passage 248 for almost a complete rotation of the sewing shaft 208 while the first stitch of a new seam is being inserted finally emerging from the thread gripping cam groove part 244 through the return passage 246 which guides the roll into the sewing groove part. Thus, the roll is not intended to be released until the return guide passage 246 is reached. After considerable wear and looseness of the parts it is sometimes possible for the cam roll to escape through the shifting passage 248 without being retained in thread gripping position for a suiiicient length of time to enable complete formation of the first stitch in a new seam. The illustrated machine, however, is provided with means for avoiding this diiiiculty.

To prevent escape of the cam roll 240 from the thread gripping cam groove part 244 through the shifting passage 248 as the main sewing shaft of the machine starts its forward rotation at the beginning of a new seam, the shifting passage is blocked against return movement of the cam roll by a yieldingly actuated switch 250. The switch 250 is pivoted at 252 to the cam 241 between the gripping groove part and the shafting passage and is urged by a spring 253 into a position in which it blocks movement of the cam roll through the shifting passage from the gripping groove part 244 to the sewing part 242 during the forward rotation of the sewing cam shaft 208. For this purpose the free end of the switch points in the direction of reverse rotation. However in stopping the machine during reverse rotation of the cam shaft 208 the roll may push the switch yieldingly aside and may enter the shifting passage 248 into the gripping groove part 244.

In the machine of Patent 2,359,662 a welt advancing finger is mounted to operate in the welt guide, to position the welt adjacent to the point of operation of the stitch forming devices in starting a new seam on a shoe. The manner in which the welt advancing finger acts causes it to be projected lengthwise until its tip partially penetrates the welt within the guide. However if no welt is present in the guide the advancing finger is projected against the surfaces of the guide in a manner to injure the finish of the surfaces and to cause possible breakage.

To prevent possibility of injury or breakage in the welt advancing finger and welt guide of the machine hereinafter described, the mechanism for actuating the finger has incorporated in it connections for preventing operation of the finger into the guide if no welt is present. For this purpose a welt detecting member is constructed and arranged to engage the welt along its path of movement from the supply toward the guide before it reaches the guide and the operation preventing connections are actuated by the detecting member, as best shown in Figs. l() to 13 inclusive.

The welt advancing finger is shown at 254 and is pivotally mounted at 256 on a slide 258 to swing laterally as it moves along the guiding surface of the welt guide 19 in I3 central portion with a' rectangular guide box having a cover plate 338. Within the guide box is a block 340 rotatably mounted on a stud 342 about which the cam lever 336 rocks during the upper tensioning movement of the gripper jaws. The cam lever 336 has at its upper end a roll 343 engaging a `slot 344 in one of the cams on the sewing shaft 208. The slot 344 has a portion of enlarged width which is engaged by the cam roll 343 when the machine is in stopping position, as illustrated in Fig. 14. To maintain the cam roll against the outer side of the slot the lever is connected to a vertical tension spring 346 stretched between a pin on the lever and a fixed part of the machine frame. The inner side of the slot 344 is made concentric with the shaft 208 so that when the roll 343 is moved inwardly against the inner side of the slot no upper tensioning motion will be imparted to the gripper jaws and they will be retained raised in an inoperative position out of Contact with a shoe being operated on.

To actuate the jaws in grasping and releasing the upper a set of connections separate from those for tensioning the upper is provided. The connections for actuating the jaws to grasp and release the upper comprise a second cam lever 348 fulcrumed on a pivot shaft 350 and provided with a roll 352 engaging a slot 354 in a cam on the sewing shaft. The lever 348 has pivotally connected to it one end of a link 356, the other end of which is similarly connected to the midportion of a lever 358 rotatable on a rock shaft 360. At the lower end of the lever 358 is a pin 362 engaging a slot in a link 364 provided at its forward end with a pivotal connection with an arm of the pivoted gripper jaw 20. v The pivotal connection comprises a stud 366 integral with the arm of the jaw 20, the link being retained from axial displacement from the stud by a fiange 367 on the carrier (see Fig. To maintain the pin 362 against the inner end of the slot in the link 364 the pin is surrounded by one end of a tension spring 368 the other end of which is engaged with a pin 378 on the link 364. The spring 368 enables the pivoted jaw 28 to yield in grasping an upper and insures obtaining a secure grip regardless of the thickness of the upper.

For the third motion imparted to the gripper jaws, which is that of overdraw toward the center of a shoe bottom, the guide box portion of the cam lever is connected by a link 372 with one arm of a cam lever 374 also fulcrumed on the pivot shaft 350. The cam lever 374 has at one end a roll 376 engaging a slot 378 in a cam on the shaft 288 and movement of' the overdraw lever 374 slides the guide box of the lever 336 along the block 34) to carry the gripper jaws toward the center of the shoe bottom. Both sets of connections with cam levers 348 and 374 are separate and independent so far as their motions are concerned, the cam lever 336 forming a direct support for the carrier 330. One advantage of such an arrangement is that, in constructing the machine, the motions imparted by one lever to the gripper jaws may be determined independently and may be adjusted separately to produce the most effective results possible. In many instances such arrangement is more desirable than where different motions imparted to lasting gripper jaws are produced by a single cam lever or even by two carn levers.

Along certain portions of a shoe it is desirable to throw out of operation the gripper jaws so that they will be inoperative particularly while sewing those parts of an upper adjacent to the heel seat of a shoe. The mechanism for throwing the gripper jaws out of operation along these portions of a shoe is similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,323,347 granted July 6, 1943, upon application of Alfred R. Morrill. Briefly, the connections of this mechanism are actuated by the pattern cam shaft 52 and include an arm 380 on the cam lever 336 having a shoulder engaged by a throw-out lever 382 loosely sleeved on the rock shaft 360 and provided with lugs 384 (see Fig.' 16) engaging radial slots in the hub of a channel guide control lever 386 secured to the rock shaft 360. The rock shaft 360 also has secured to it an arm 388 to which is pivotally connected the upper end of a link 390 (Fig. 14), having its lower end similarly connected to the pattern mechanism. When the link 390 is raised to the limit of its movement the throw-out lever 382 forces the arm 380 rearwardly and swings the gripper jaws to inoperative raised positions about the stud 342. In swinging the gripper jaws to inoperative raised positions, the lever 336 swinging about the stud 342, the cam roll 343 engages the inner side of the cam slot 344 so that no motion is imparted to the gripper jaws toward or from a shoe.

At the same time that the throw out lever 382 forces the grippers to inoperative positions the channel guide control lever 386 engages the bottom face of a notch in a channel guide supporting slide 392, depressing the slide and channel guide 18 to an abnormally low position, the purpose of which is more fully described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,323,347 granted July 6, 1943, upon application of A. R. Morrill.

To enable the gripper jaws to be moved to an inoperative position without depressing the channel guide to its abnormally low position and to maintain the gripper jaws inoperative throughout the operation on a shoe a manually actuated throw out member is provided separate from the throw out lever 382. The manually actuated throw out member comprises an arm 394 secured to a rock shaft 396 rotatably mounted above the cam lever 336. The free end of the throw out arm 394 is rounded and when the shaft 396 is rocked in a clockwise direction the arm engages the upper surface of the cam lever 336 forcing it downwardly against the spring 346 until the cam roll 343 engages the inner side of the slot 344. The cam lever 336 is formed with a stop finger 398 to prevent movement of the throw out arm in a clockwise direction sufficiently to release the cam lever 336. To actuate the rock shaft 396 it extends through the head frame 6 of the machine (Fig. 1) and is provided outside of the frame with a handle arm 400 readily accessible to the operator. For retaining the throw out arm 394 out of engagement with the cam lever 336 one of the bearings for the rock shaft 396 in the head frame is provided with a friction device (not shown) to prevent accidental rotation of the rock shaft.

Certain features of the invention disclosed herein form the subject matter of divisional applications, as follows: Serial No. 308,130 led September 5, 1952, relating to jack actuating mechanism; Serial No. 314,812, filed October l5, 1952, relating to sewing thread tension control mechanism, and Serial No. 325,357, filed December 11, 1952, relating to lasting gripper actuating mechanism.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and a particular embodiment having been described what is claimed is:

1. An automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack relatively movable to transfer the point of operation along the sole margin of a shoe, supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including a pattern cam shaft, driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including a treadle, a treadle connected rod having running and stopping positions, a latch for latching the treadle rod in running position, means for withdrawing the latch to stop the machine and auxiliary mechanism thrown into operation upon stopping the machine for completing the rotation of the pattern cam shaft, in combination with a detent mounted for movement toward and from a position to block rotation of the pattern cam shaft beyond a predetermined limit under the action of the auxiliary mechanism.

2. An automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack relatively movable to transfer the point of operation along the sole margin of. a shoe,V supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including a pattern cam shaft driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including a treadle, a treadle connected rod having running and stopping positions, a latch for latching the treadle rod in running position, means for withdrawing the latch to stop the machine and auxiliary mechanism thrown into operation upon stopping the machine for completing the rotation of the pattern cam shaft, in combination with a detent mounted for movement toward and from a position to block rotation of the pattern cam shaft beyond a predetermined limit under the action of the auxiliary mechanism and connections with the treadle rod acting, to withdraw the detent from blocking position.

3.. An automatic machine having means for operating upon, a shoe, a shoe, supporting jack relatively movable to transfer the point of operation along the sole margin of; a shoe, supporting a-nd actuating mechanism for the jack including a pattern cam shaft, driving and stopping mechanismv for the machine including a treadle, a treadle connected rod having running and stopping positions, a latch for latching` the treadle rod in running position, means for withdrawing the latch; to. stop the machineV and auxiliary mechanism thrown intooperation upon stopping the machine for completing the rotation of the pattern cam shaft, in combination with a detent mounted for sliding movement toward and from a position to block rotation of the pattern cam shaft and provided with a cam surface inclined to the direction. ofthe sliding move ment, a. roll mounted for reciprocation at an angle to the cam surface and a connection between the treadle rod and the roll arranged to withdraw the detent from blocking position when the treadle rod is depressed.

4.` An automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack relatively movable to transfer the point of operation along the sole margin of a shoe, supporting and. actuating mechanism for the jack including a pattern cam shaft, means for shifting the. pattern cam shaft axially to bring different cams thereon selectively into operativev relation to the jack actuating mechanism, driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including a treadle, a treadle connected rod having running and stopping positions, a latch for locking the rod in running position,` means for withdrawing the latch to stop the machine and auxiliary mechanism thrown into operation upon stopping the machine for completing the rotation of the pattern cam shaft, in combination with a. detent mounted for sliding movement lengthwise of. the pattern cam shaft toward and from. a position to block rotation of the cam shaft and provided, with a plurality of similar cam surfaces, a roll mounted for reciprocation at an angle to the cam surfaces. and a connection between the treadle rod and the roll arranged to withdraw the detent from blocking position when` the; treadle is depressed.

5. An automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack relatively movable to transfer the point of operation along the sole margin of a shoe, supporting and. actuating mechanism for the jack including a pattern cam shaft, means for shifting the pattern cam. shaft axially to bring different cams thereon selectively into operative relation to the. jack actuating mechanism, driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including a treadle, a treadle connected rod having running and` stopping positions, a latch for ,locking the rod in running position, means for withdrawing the latch to stop the machine andv auxiliary mechanism thrown intor operation upon stopping the machine for completing the.- rotation of the pattern cam shaft, in combination with a detent mounted for sliding movement lengthwise of the pattern cam shaft towardand from; a position to, block rotation of the; cam shaft and. provided witha plurality of similar cam' surfaces, a roll mounted for reciprocation, at an. angle. to. the cam surfaces, a connection between the treadle, rod and the roll arranged to i 6 withdraw the detent from blocking position when the treadle is depressed and yielding means for urging the detent toward blocking position to cause it to follow the axial shift of the pattern cam shaft, there being one cam surface for each cam on the cam shaft.

6. An automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack relatively movable to transfer the point of operation along the sole margin of a shoe, supporting and actuating mechanism for the jack including a` pattern cam shaft, driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including a treadle and auxiliary mechanism thrown into operation upon stopping the machine for completing rotation of the pattern cam shaft including an arm, a rock shaft on which the arm is mounted, a pawl on the arm and a block carried by the cam shaft arranged to be engaged by the pawl, in combination with a detent mounted for movement toward and from a position to block rotation of the pattern camshaft under the action of the auxiliary mechanism beyond a predetermined limit and a brake for re tarding rotation of the pattern cam shaft before it is blocked by the detent.

7. A automatic machine having means for operating upon a shoe, a shoe supporting jack relatively movable to transfer tne point of operation along the sole margin of a shoe, supporting and' actuating mechanism for the jack including a pattern cam shaft, driving and stopping mechanism for bringing the machine to rest at the end of an operation on a shoe, a treadle for controlling the driving andl stopping mechanism and auxiliary mechanism thrown into operation when the treadle is released for completing rotation of the pattern cam shaft including a rock shaft, an arm on the rock shaft, a pawl carried by said arm and a block carried by the pattern cam shaft, in combination with a brake actuated by the rock shaft for retarding the rotation of the pattern cam shaft .under the. action of the auxiliary mechanism.

8. An automatic machine having shoe sewing mechanism including a sewing cam shaft, a hook needle, a looper, a thread linger, a thread gripping device rendered operative by abnormal movement of the thread finger to grip the thread, driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including means operative in stopping the machine to reverse the sewing cam shaft, and a cam mounted on the sewing` shaft for actuating the thread finger during sewing and formed with a two-part groove and two interconnecting passages between them, one part of which groove is effective in sewing and the other of which is effective to actuate the thread finger in its abnormal thread gripping movement and a cam roll in said groove connected to the thread finger, one of the passages entering. into the thread gripping groove part in a direction to shift the cam roll from the sewing groove part into the thread gripping groove part during reverse, rotation of the cam and the other passage forming a guide for the roll to return it to the sewing groove part while the cam is rotating in a forward direction, in combinationv with a yieldingly actuated switch mounted on. the cam between the shifting passage and the thread gripping groove part with its free end pointing in the direction of forward rotation of the cam to admit entry of the cam roll into the thread gripping groove part during reverse rotation of the cam, and to block return movement through said shifting passage during forward rotation of the cam.

9'. An automatic machine having shoe sewing mechanism including a sewing cam shaft, a hook needle, a looper, a thread finger, a thread gripping device rendered operative by abnormal movement of the thread finger to grip the thread, driving and stopping mechanism for the machine including means operative. in. stopping themachine to reversethe sewing cam shaft, and a cam mounted on the sewing shaft for actuating the thread iinger during sewing and formed with a two-part groove and two interconnecting passages between them. one

part of which groove is edective in sewing and the other of which is effective to actuate the thread finger in its abnormal thread gripping movement and a cam roll in said groove connected to the thread finger, one of the passages entering into the thread gripping groove part in a direction to shift the cam roll from the sewing groove part into the thread gripping groove part during reverse rotation of the cam and the other passage forming a guide for the roll to return it to the sewing groove part while the cam is rotating in a forward direction, in combination with a switch mounted on the cam between the shifting passage and the thread gripping groove part with its free end pointing in the direction of forward rotation of the cam to admit entry of the cam roll into the thread gripping groove part during reverse rotation of the cam, and to block return movement through said shifting passage during forward rotation of the cam, and means for urging the switch into a position which blocks movement of the cam roll through the shifting passage from the thread gripping groove part.

l0. A shoe machine having devices for performing an operation on work including a welt, a welt guide, a welt advancing finger, and mechanism for actuating the nger to advance the welt as it passes through the welt guide, in combination with connections in said mechanism for preventing the operation of the finger when no welt is present in the guide, comprising a welt detecting member arranged to engage the Welt along its path of movement toward the Welt guide.

11. A shoe machine having devices for performing an operation on work including a welt, a welt guide, a advancing finger, a slide for actuating the finger toward and from the welt in this guide and mechanism for actuating the slide to advance the welt as it passes through the welt guide, in combination with connections in said mechanism for preventing operation of the ringer when no welt is present in the guide, said mechanism comprising a welt detecting member arranged to engage the welt along its path of movement before it reaches the welt guide, a rock shaft, a spring pressed pawl on the rock shaft, a sliding rod arranged to actuate the slide, an abutment on the rod cooperating with the pawl, said pawl and abutment being so arranged that rocking movement of the shaft in one direction brings the pawl into operating relationship with the abutment and that upon a subsequent rocking movement of the shaft in the opposite direction the pawl imparts a welt advancing movement to the rod, slide and linger, and means for shifting the rod relatively to the slide to bring the abutment out of position where it may be engaged by the pawl.

12. A shoe machine having devices for performing an operation on work including a welt, a Welt guide, a welt advancing finger, a slide for actuating the finger and mechanism for actuating the slide to advance the welt as it passes through the welt guide, in combination with connections in said mechanism for preventing operation of the finger when no welt is present in the guide, said mechanism comprising a welt detecting member arranged to engage the welt along its path of movement before it reaches the Welt guide, a rock shaft, a spring pressed pawl on the rock shaft, a sliding rod arranged to actuate the slide, an abutment on the rod cooperating with the pawl, said pawl and abutment being so arranged that rocking movement of the shaft in one direction brings the pawl into operating relationship with the abutment and that upon a subsequent rocking movement of the shaft in the opposite direction the pawl imparts a welt advancing movement to the rod, slide and finger, means for shifting the rod relatively to the slide to bring the abutment out of position where it may be engaged by the pawl comprising a yielding member between the slide and the rod, a latch for preventing relative movement between the slide and rod and a connection between the welt detecting member and the latch for unlatching the latch in the absence of the welt to free the rod for movement relatively to the slide.

13. A shoe machine having devices for performing an operation on work including a Welt, a welt guide, a welt advancing finger, a slide for actuating the finger and mechanism for actuating the slide to advance the welt as it passes through the welt guide, in combination with connections in said mechanism for preventing operation of the finger when no welt is present in the guide, said mechanism comprising a welt detecting member arranged to engage the welt along its path of movement before it reaches the welt guide, a rock shaft, a spring pressed pawl on the rock shaft, a sliding rod arranged to actuate the slide, an abutment on the rod cooperating with the pawl, said pawl and abutment being so arranged that rocking movement of the shaft in one direction brings the pawl into operating relationship with the abutment and that upon a subsequent rocking movement of the shaft in the opposite direction the pawl imparts a welt advancing movement to the rod, slide and finger, means for shifting the rod relatively to the slide to bring the abutment out of position where it may be engaged by the pawl comprising a yielding member between the slide and the rod, a latch for preventing relative movement between the slide and rod, a connection between the welt detecting member and the latch for unlatching the latch in the absence of the welt to free the rod for movement relatively to the slide and a manually actuated lever for resetting the latch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,069,992 Allen et al. Aug. 12, 1913 1,952,770 Morrill Mar. 27, 1934 2,162,026 Morrill June 13, 1939 2,186,592 Morrill Jan. 9, 1940 2,253,244 Morrill Aug. 19, 1941 2,323,347 Morrill `luly 6, 1943 2,359,662 Morrill Oct. 3, 1944 2,359,664 Morrill Oct. 3, 1944 2,359,729 Morrill Oct. 3, 1944 2,502,058 Morrill Mar. 28, 1950 2,581,272 Miller Jan. 1, 1952 

